reviews_and_ramblings | Weekend Leave by Bobby Michaels

Reading a book by Bobby Michaels is an unique experience; sometime it seems to read an "how to do" text for inexperienced gay and sometime an ad campaign for gay rights, but above all you feel the author behind it. Bobby Michaels is well present in all his books, and what he writes is what he is. Don't try to analyze the book from a perfection point of view, don't try to question if what he writes is real or fantasy or too kinky to be available simply through a non pornographic book, when you open a Bobby Michaels' book, you have to know that you will read something that you haven't never read, unless you weren't one of his previous reader.

There are two things that probably Bobby Michaels love, a gay man and a marine man, and in Weekend Leave he puts together both (like he did in The Veteran and For the Love of the Corps). Rick is a 22 years old Marine just back home from Iraq; a very clever and good guy when he was in high school, he chose to become a Marine to learn how to be a man. Don't get him wrong, Rick knew that he was gay, and he was quite all right with the idea, but he also knew that being gay will get him in trouble sooner or later, and he thought that learning the way of a Marine would help him. Plus he had a not so idilliac relationship with his family, and leaving as soon as possible it seemed a good idea: finding in the Corps the family he didn't have at home was a good perspective, and the recognition and pride in being a Marine would supply to the lack of enthusiasm in his real family for him and his life.

In the same neighbor where Rick lived and attending the same high school now there is Robby, an 18 years old living alone with his single mother. Robby is too clever for his own good; not having a fatherly figure at home, someone with whom speaks of sex and other manly things, Robby has learnt alone all it was necessary... also to hate the fact that he was gay since it made him a "stranger" in his own skin. No one around him actually ambushed Robby, but he is not comfortable with himself, and in this way he cuts off himself from the rest of the world.

When Rick comes back home for a leave, he has the bad surprise to find his parents gone for the all weekend, but the good one of a Robby guy who offers him to spend the weekend with him. Robby is shy and tender, but also friendly and loving; Rick falls hard and soon for the boy and he will spend the weekend in teaching new tricks to him (here the part of the "how to do" text book...). In two days Robby and Rick do more things then most of the couples do in an entire life, included speaking of love and a future together.

Love and future are another constant in Bobby Michaels' work; even if down and dirty, the sex between his characters is always imbued of love, and love is the most powerful aphrodisiac. Especially when he writes about young characters, they claim love aloud and without fear; his characters are always so sure of their feelings, so blind to the ugliness of the world if only they can have that love.

I stopped long ago to question why I like so much this author; it's impossible to say, and questioning with friends made me doing very bad figure, since what for me is impossible, for other is a normal thing of life. The world is good since it's different, and I know that out there there is who will love this book, and who will cordially hate it. It's right, but I hope you will love it.

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